SIERRA LEONE. 
from these complicated disasters. The French 
squadron, which consisted chiefly of privateers, 
and had been fitted out against the English slave- 
factories on the coast, by interrupting the traffic 
in slaves, increased the influence of the colony, 
and promoted its commercial views. 
Soon after the restoration of the colony, in Au- 
gust 179^, Mr Nordenskiold the mineralogist, 
who had been emaciated with sickness before he 
sailed from England, and had afterwards suffered 
severely from the climate to which he w^as unac- 
customed at Sierra Leone, anxious to fulfil his en- 
gagements with the Company, with too great pre- 
cipitation, before either his health was confirmed 
or the rainy season terminated, resolved upon an 
expedition into the interior parts of the country, 
where he hoped to find an innocent, hospitable 
people, among whom he might pursue his re- 
searches to his own satisfaction, and the emolu- 
ment of his employers. Having obtained from 
the governor and council the most proper goods 
which the stores contained, for his disbursements 
on the journey, he proceeded up the river to Ro- 
banna, the island where king Naimbanna resided ; 
and afterwards embarking in a sloop, commanded 
by a white slave-trader, sailed up the river Scas- 
sos. Having landed at the distance of twelve 
miles from Porto Logo, he attempted to proceed 
thither by land, but was robbed of all his goods 
VOL. II. 3 
